3 Razors

Rio

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Rio
  • IMDB: link

Rio is by all accounts a very traditional animated feature. We get likable stars in the form of cute animals, a few big musical numbers, stories centered around friendship and true love, and even a menacing villain or two. Although the film doesn’t stray too far off the path of what we’ve seen (many) times before, Rio delivers a colorful film and its share of fun.

The story centers around Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), a domesticated Spinx Macaw who never learned to fly. Blu travels from his cozy home in Minnesota to the Brazilian wilderness with his owner Linda (Leslie Mann) when an ornithologist (Rodrigo Santoro) convinces them to help save Blu’s endangered species.

I would have liked to have seen more of Linda and Blu’s life together in Minnesota. After a brief introduction, we only get a montage of the two growing up together and then a single scene before moving onto to their adventure. Although the film has plenty of relationships, this is the one that held the most promise, and is sadly interrupted by the series of events which follow.

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Secret Six #32

/ / Comics

The Secret Six continue their journey through Hell, to rescue Knockout and find Ragdoll, and Catman takes a side trip to poke a demon in the eyes and visit someone from his past. I’ll be glad with this storyline is over.

It’s not a bad story, in fact it has a couple nice turns, but every story that takes in Hell, be it DC, Marvel, or any other comic publisher, is limited by design. And too often writers trying to tell a tale in Hell quickly write themselves into a corner. I’m hoping that’s not the case here with Gail Simone, but I’ll admit after two issues I have my doubts.

I’d much rather see the Six back in action in Gotham City than traipsing through the underworld. The storyline I enjoyed most was the all-too-short look into Scandal Savage‘s recent squeeze which seems far more ominous than the team’s struggles down below.

The last panel does give us a bit of a surprise and should make the final issue of this storyline worth reading, but I’ll just be glad when things get back to “normal” for the team. Hit-and-Miss.

[DC, $2.99]

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Fear Itself #1

/ / Comics

fear-itself-1-coverAlthough I liked this issue more than I thought I would, I was surprised at the amount of effort writer Matt Fraction went to try and convince me how epic Marvel’s latest summer event Fear Itself will be (ex: giving seemingly everyone who works at Marvel Comics credit on the title page). For a story centered around Odin and the Red Skull’s daughter, you’ll have to forgive me if I’m not yet ready to drink the Kool-Aid just yet.

The story begins with Sin, having adopted the persona of her late father the Red Skull, breaking into a secret Nazi base to retrieve the Hammer of Skadi. On taking possession of the hammer Sin is tranformed, still herself, but also imbued with the presence and power of the former god. Sin uses the hammer to release the “true All Father” from his prison and help him take his revenge on Odin and Asgard.

Also in this first issue we get the falling out of Odin and Thor, Tony Stark‘s determination to help the economy by rebuilding Asgard on Earth, and the total ineptitude of Steve Rogers to prevent a riot. Although the Sin story works well enough, I had problems with each of these pieces.

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Miral

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Miral
  • IMDB: link

Directed by Julian Schnabel and adapted from her own novel by Rula Jebreal, Miral is an attempt by the Jewish filmmaker to examine life from the point of view of several Palestinian women after the establishment of the state of Israel.

The film begins with the rescue of 55 orphaned children by Hind Hussein (Hiam Abbass). The children were the first discovered survivors of Deir Yassin Massacre, but within six months the number of children would swell to several thousand.

I’ll stop for a second to discuss Hind Hussein, who is definitely worthy of a film dedicated to her life and accomplishments. Using what resources she had, Hussein transformed her grandfather’s estate into an orphanage and institute of learning which continues today. Abbass gives a strong performance, even overcoming some questionable old age makeup for the character’s later years. But, somewhat to the film’s detriment, Hussein isn’t the film’s main character. In fact, I’m not sure it has one.

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Gotham City Sirens #21

/ / Comics

gotham-city-sirens-21-coverHarley Quinn‘s murderous rage continues as she works herself further and further inside Arkham Asyulm until only one door stands between her and the man she’s come to kill – the Joker.

Most of the comic deals with Harley’s inner struggle at what she’s about to do, her conflicted memories of Mr. J., and the conversation between the loony bird (and I mean that affectionately) and the one guard left in her way.

It’s an interesting scene as Harley disarms him, using the guard’s past as the weapon she needs to gain access to the Joker’s cell. And there she finds nothing, except her own twisted feelings, standing between her and the Joker. Even if the conclusion is a bit obvious, the buildup works quite well.

There’s also a B-story as Poison Ivy and Catwoman bicker over whether or not to help their friend. Ivy throws down an ultimatum which Catwoman ignores. Is this the end of the Sirens as we know them or will Catwoman risk everything to help her friends? Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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